Clones Do Not Have Bellybuttons
by Takebuo Ishimatsu
Summary: Superboy finds that he is missing something. Written for a prompt in yj anon meme. No solid pairings.


**Title: **Clones Do Not Have Bellybuttons  
**Author: **Takebuo Ishimatsu  
**Pairing(s): **Slashy hints, but nothing concrete  
**Summary: **Superboy finds that he is missing something. Written for a prompt in yj_anon_meme. No solid pairings.**  
**  
**Warning: **Mentions of male genitals? o_O

**Disclaimer: **I not own Young Justice.

**The Prompt:**_**  
Superboy is a clone. Clones do not have bellybuttons. I request fic where he finds out that he does not have a bellybutton, and is confused about it.**_

How he finds out that he does not have one and others do is largely up to the writer. **  
**  
"All right kids, training's over. Hit the showers," Black Canary said, a little smirk on her face as she watched the teenagers trudge out of the room.

Superboy noted that Robin was the only one that appeared to have any life left in him after their first training exercise. He'd heard that the smallest of the group trained for hours any day that he was able, with Batman no less, so he supposed it wasn't that surprising.

It still made him uncomfortable that a human had surpassed him in the simulations, even though Black Canary had pointed out that he'd never had any combat training to go with all of his powers. What had Superman thought, silently watching their session from behind a glass? Had he been ashamed?

...Did he even care enough to feel anything but cold nonchalance?

Before his thoughts could turn truly dark and his "broodiness" could set in, M'gann whispered, her voice just loud enough for him to hear, "You know, Superman doesn't always win against Batman when they spare. In fact, it's just about even."

He gave her a startled look and she blushed, "I'm sorry. I'm still trying to control my telepathic abilities around so many people."

Superboy smiled shyly at her in return, not certain of what to say in response.

"Tell me again, why did we think this was a good idea?" Kid Flash whined as he rotated his shoulder, causing Superboy to frown.

"So that we can both 'work better as a team' and 'continue to grow as individuals,'" he quoted The Flash.

Wally gave him the look that he'd come to associate with him not quite understanding something, but the others being too polite to point out what exactly he'd gotten wrong.

"We still have a ways to go in regards to that goal," Aqualad said, joining the conversation. Looking at the Boy Wonder, he added, "Some of us need to learn when to pull back and rejoin the group, rather than carry on ahead."

Robin shrugged, his usual smirk in place, "What? I'm used to working with _Batman_."

"I do believe that is why we are taking part in these exercises. We all have trained under very different mentors." Aqualad responded, gazing off into the distance with what Wally had dubbed his "Leader Look."

Reaching the shower room, they moved to enter the door when Robin abruptly swung around and pointed towards the room opposite.

"Your shower's over there, M'gann."

The Martian turned an innocent look behind herself before turning back, "You know, I have no actual gender. I was thinking I could change into a male-form and come in with you guys."

They all stared at her incredulously, though Superboy was really just going with the crowd. It made logical sense to him. Though, truthfully, he didn't see the problem with both genders sharing a shower to begin with. It wasn't as if they were going to spontaneously go into heat and try to mate with each other.

...At least, he hoped not.

"Or maybe not?" she said uncertainly when it appeared that she'd upset the others. Superboy thought he understood: she just wanted to be part of the group.

"That's kind of weird, Miss M," Wally said carefully, giving her a smile that looked more pained than friendly.

"No joke! I mean, I can totally guarantee you that your uncle only uses the male facilities, so you know..." Robin trailed off, making a waving motion towards the female shower rooms.

"That's right!" Wally said, nodding enthusiastically.

Superboy frowned, "How can you guarantee that? Have you showered with him?"

"That is a good question," Aqualad agreed, putting a hand under his chin in what Superboy had learned was a "thinking face."

Everyone turned to glance at the Boy Wonder, to which he just responded, "I just do," and didn't appear to be willing to say more on the topic.

Superboy wondered if he was the only one that thought it strange, but he didn't push the issue in case it was another one of those things that any "normal" person would understand. He hated drawing attention to the fact that he was a clone, especially while Superman was still somewhere in the building.

"Very well. Since it upsets you, I will use the other room," M'gann said, disappearing through the other door.

The others let out a relieved sigh.

Feeling as if he'd missed something, Superboy sighed as well, even though he didn't understand the point. The corresponding amused looks from Wally and Robin led him to believe that he'd misinterpreted something again, though Aqualad did give him an understanding squeeze on the shoulder, before gently pushing him through the door.

Once inside, he watched the others take off their clothes, not yet removing his own. It wasn't so much that he was embarrassed to bare himself, but rather that he wanted a moment to observe them in their natural forms.

Robin, he noted, wore armor over his chest and he appeared even smaller than he normally did once everything had been removed. Wally and Kaldur had the same hair color over their genitals as they did on their head, which was certainly interesting to look at. And Wally had lots of little dots all over his shoulders. Freckles they were called, if he remembered correctly.

He continued watching until Robin and Aqualad left through the door. He then shifted his full gaze to Wally, who paused to look at him, standing in front of the shower room awkwardly.

"Uh, Supey? You're being kinda creepy," Wally said, running a hand through his hair in way that Superboy had learned meant he was either embarrassed or uncertain. He wondered which emotion the "hair thing" was for this time.

Instead of answering, he merely raised an eyebrow, an expression he'd learned quickly from Robin.

"You shouldn't stare at other dudes in the locker room or the bathroom or, you know, wherever. Especially down there," he made a vague gesture towards his penis and the simple act caused him go red. With him standing there naked, Superboy could see that his blush trailed past his face and over his shoulders.

Interesting.

"Why not?" he asked, giving Wally's privates another look. He didn't see anything different than what he had himself.

The other boy shifted, looking as if he was about to cover himself, before stopping. He was still flushed.

"It's just...people will think..." Wally sighed, running a hand through his hair again, "Just don't. Please?"

Superboy nodded, though he'd gotten nothing from the other's explanation. Perhaps he'd ask someone else? Maybe he could even use it as an excuse to speak to Superman?

...Not that he was desperate or anything.

He watched as Wally went to join the others in the shower room, shifting his gaze away when green eyes glanced back at him.

Shrugging at the oddity of the so-called "normal" people, he started undressing himself. Upon taking off the boxers he'd bought at the mall the other day, he froze as he took in the full sight of himself.

How hadn't he noticed...?

Just to make certain, he ran a curious hand down from his stomach to just above his penis. Sure enough, he was missing the little hole that all of the others seemed to have. He frowned, his mind wandering.

Obviously, it had something to do with him being a clone. An overlooked imperfection, perhaps? Or an intended one? He tried to recall his brief anatomy lessons, wondering if the hole was actually necessary for anything.

Or maybe it was accurate – did Superman have one? Was it the one physical difference between humans and Kryptonians? Or maybe? Could it be?

He turned abruptly as an idea came to him, and he marched out of the room. He gave a polite nod to a stunned Black Canary as he walked across the hallway towards the female section.

"Hey! You can't-" she tried, though Superboy ignored her. He wasn't going to do anything sexual; he just wanted to check something.

Seeing no one in the locker room, he continued onwards until he opened the door to the actual showers. He was disappointed to note that Miss Martian was the only occupant. How accurate was a shape-shifter's version of the female body?

Still, he supposed it was better than nothing, so he walked over to her, nodding a greeting as she whipped around.

"Superboy! What are you doing!"

"That's what I'd like to know," Black Canary said from behind him. He didn't startle as she put her hand on his upper arm. He'd heard her follow him in.

He frowned as he saw that M'gann had a hole too, though he still wasn't positive as to whether or not that was conclusive of anything. She could easily change into males, after all.

Glancing back towards his physical instructor, he asked, "Do you have a hole?"

"EXCUSE ME?" she shrieked and even Miss M's mouth dropped open.

What had he said? Perhaps it was something private? Even more so than the penis?

Wally hadn't mentioned not looking at another man's hole, but maybe it was another one of those things that was just implied.

He _hated_ the implied things.

Superboy allowed himself to be pulled into the locker room, frowning as Black Canary began muttering things about "Teaching those boys a lesson!" and "What kind of an example are they setting!"

"I don't have a hole," Superboy tried to explain as she dragged him out of the female locker room and over to the male one.

"Well, of course not! You're a male. That's why you stay in the male shower room!" she said, though she sounded more exasperated than truly angry.

He supposed that was the one perk he got for being "the clone." Nobody really took anything he said or did to heart, no matter how impolite or deviant.

Robin had told him he should use his freedom while he still had the chance. Though, considering he'd wanted him to try out various "pick-up lines" on specific men and women, he wasn't certain he approved of that line of thought.

What would Superman say if he heard him trying to mate with someone so soon after his arrival into the world outside?

The Boy Wonder himself was in the locker room when they entered, and he let out an "eep" as he caught sight of them, quickly covering himself with a nearby towel.

"You can't just come-"

"I'll do what I want, young man," she said sternly, giving him a dark look. Robin wisely shut his mouth, though Superboy heard him mutter that he was going to tell Batman.

"He has a hole," Superboy said, pointing towards the gymnast's stomach.

Black Canary actually paused at that, her gaze shifting from Robin's hole to his non-hole.

"You don't have a bellybutton," she said, sounding surprised.

"Does Superman have a 'bellybutton'?" he asked hopefully, gazing down at his stomach.

"I assume so," she answered carefully, clearly not knowing one way or the other.

"He does," Robin assured.

Superboy frowned. So much for his Superman theory.

Angry at yet another difference between he and his idol, he asked harshly, "How would you know that?"

"I just do," the responded vaguely.

He had the feeling that was going to be a common answer for the other hero. He also had the feeling he was going to tire of it very quickly.

Everyone's gaze shifted to the shower-room door as Wally came strolling through. He froze as his brain processed that everything was not as it should be, and he quickly super-back-peddled through the door, a blush on his face. Superboy could hear him telling Kaldur on the other side not to come through "if he didn't want his innocence stolen."

"Perhaps I should leave this to you boys," Black Canary said, quickly exiting the room afterwards.

Robin tilted his head to one side and then to the other, as if getting a better focus on his non-existent "bellybutton."

"It makes sense, I guess," he glanced up to Superboy's eyes, "You were born in a tube, so you wouldn't have an umbilical cord, which is what the hole's there for."

Superboy frowned, "So it's not important?"

"Not really. Us hu- naturally-born folks," he corrected, though they both knew what he'd been about to say, "don't even use them. Well, except for certain _activities_ that Batman would have my head for even knowing the existence of, so I can't tell you."

Wally peeked his head out the door, "Is she gone?"

"Yes," Superboy answered tersely, still displeased at his discovery.

What would Superman say when he found out?

"What's up, Supey?" the redhead asked, sounding genuinely concerned as he came out into the locker room. "Oh, wow, you don't have a bellybutton!" he exclaimed, pointing at the other before Superboy could answer.

The clone gave him a glare. His fists seemed to clench of their own accord, though he knew he'd never actually hit the other, even if he deserved it. The last thing he needed was _another_ reason for Superman to hate him.

Wally held up his hands in surrender, "Hey, hey! I didn't mean anything by it! It just surprised me, is all!"

"Yes, the freakish clone is so surprising," he hissed.

"Supey, I didn't mean it like that," Wally whispered and Superboy almost felt bad for making him lose his smile. Wally had housed him for a few days, after all.

"You also don't have gills," Kaldur pointed out, calmly taking his clothes out of his locker.

Superboy blinked, giving him an odd look. Even _he_ knew that land-dwellers didn't have gills.

Robin suddenly smiled, alerting him that something was coming before he even opened his mouth.

"You also don't have freakishly red hair and little specks all over you," Robin said, giving Wally a side-long glance.

"Hey now, that one kinda hurt, Rob," Wally pouted, crossing his arms over his chest, "Though, I suppose at least I'm not the weirdo that wears his domino mask into the showers. Oh yeah, he's kinda pint-sized too."

Wally held his hand out to about waist high, causing Robin to scowl at him and stick out his tongue.

Superboy's brow furrowed before a smile slowly came to his face.

"You mean, we're all different, but that's ok," he said, hoping that he was understanding them correctly.

That seemed like something Superman would approve of.

"Yeah, yeah, we're all unique little snowflakes and all that happy-happy-time stuff. Dude, you still gotta take a shower and Batman's gonna be here in like," Robin paused to glance at his watch, "five minutes. Trust me, he doesn't like to wait."

" Yeah man, and you _also_ don't have super speed, so you'd better get to it," Wally said, pointing a finger at him.

Superboy nodded and quickly made his way over the other shower room, remembering not to stare at any of them as he walked by. As he closed the door, he could still easily hear the others' conversation.

"Dude? 'Freakishly red hair?' 'Little specks?' Seriously?"

"Hey now, I never said I didn't like them," Robin answered in a voice that hinted towards something Superboy wasn't getting. As usual.

"Oh," Wally mumbled, sounding embarrassed for some reason.

Superboy still didn't get it.

As he started washing his stomach, he made a mental note to ask if Red Tornado had a "bellybutton."

**AN: **As always, criticism is welcome. Let me know what you thought!


End file.
